Al.Com: State Releases $30 Million of Federal Grants for 2011 Tornado Recovery

Speaker’s Press Clips Wednesday, December 18, 2013

 Al.com: State releases $30 million of federal grants for 2011 tornado recovery  Al.com: Boeing will narrow list of potential 777X sites this week: Reports  Al.com: AEA chief Henry Mabry calls GOP leadership a 'cancer' on public schools  AP: Alabama governor says he's not behind effort to rein in David Bronner's authority  Times Daily: Bentley says he wasn’t behind Bronner limits, but supports measure  AP: Governor says ASU needs president with authority  Al.com: University of Alabama, Auburn students join together for Habitat for Humanity build  Al.com: Find out why this prominent conservative supports the Common Core  Al.com: Bradley Byrne cruises to landslide victory over Burton LeFlore in congressional race  Yellowhammer News: Byrne runs up the score in AL-01 victory  Al.com: Sen. Jeff Sessions unsuccessful in attempt to stop military retirement cuts; medically retired veterans also impacted  Al.com: Congressional scramble: Bradley Byrne to reopen office, hire district staff between now and Jan. 7  Al.com: In letter to Sen. Shelby, environmental group denies federal funds were used anti-coal advocacy  AP: Mercedes-Benz opening logistics center in Ala  Al.com: BL Harbert completes $70 million Mercedes facility set to open Wednesday  AP: Alabama's largest casino opens in Wetumpka

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State releases $30 million of federal grants for 2011 tornado recovery Al.com December 17, 2013 Kyle Whitmire MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The state will release more than $30 million of federal community development block grants further repair communities struck by tornadoes two years ago, the governor's office announced Tuesday.

The funds are part of $49.1 million of block grants from the US. Department of Housing and Urban Development for disaster recovery.

Seven counties and nine cities will receive grants for tornado recovery ranging from $7.3 million for Tuscaloosa County to $80,000 for Hanceville.

On Tuesday, Gov. Robert Bentley thanked federal officials and the state's congressional delegation for helping to secure the funds.

The communities and counties receiving the grants include:

• Tuscaloosa County: $7.3 million for sewer improvements and demolition in the Holt community;

• Cullman: $5.72 million for sewer improvements;

• Cordova: $3.7 million for rebuilding city hall and police department, and road improvements;

• Hackleburg: $3.4 million for rebuilding the town hall and police department, street improvements, economic development and multi-family housing;

• Marion County: $2.63 million for road and water system improvements;

• Cullman County: $1.29 million for road improvements;

• Franklin County: $1.23 million for road improvements;

• Winston County: $985,029 for road improvements;

• Phil Campbell: $976,104 for street and sewer improvements, and demolition;

• Blount County: $758,572 for road improvements;

• DeKalb County: $672,135 for road improvements;

• Birmingham: $625,000 for demolition;

• Moulton: $593,480 for street improvements;

• Haleyville: $523,876 for street improvements; • Tuscaloosa: $100,000 for a bus stop;

• Hanceville: $80,000 for sewer improvements;

“We have seen a remarkable spirit of recovery in every area, but there are still effects from the tornadoes that communities need help to address,” Gov. Bentley said Tuesday. “These grants will help Alabama communities continue the recovery process and become better places to live, work and raise a family.”

Boeing will narrow list of potential 777X sites this week: Reports Al.com December 17, 2013 Leada Gore

Boeing will narrow its list of sites for the new home for the 777X this week, company officials announced in an email to company employees Tuesday.

The Seattle Times is reporting the information was relayed in an email sent to company employees from Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Ray Conner. The company has received proposals from 22 states, many of which submitted multiple sites. A total of 54 sites are under consideration.

The email said Boeing will cut that number "down to a handful."

The email also restates Boeing's position that machinists union leaders rejected the final offer that would have kept the 777X facility in Washington state and not, as union official said, that it was withdrawn by the company.

Conner said the union's position was a "disappointing outcome," and Boeing has "now moved on to the next steps in the...process for 777X work placement, which will be completed early next year."

Alabama hopes to land the $10 billion facility for Huntsville. (See what Boeing wants vs. what Huntsville has to offer here.) Other top contenders are believed to be Missouri, South Carolina and California.

"We are encouraged by the quality and magnitude of the response," Conner wrote.

Alabama governor says he's not behind effort to rein in David Bronner's authority The Associated Press December 17, 2013 MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) — Gov. Robert Bentley said Tuesday his disagreement with state pension fund Chief David Bronner over expanding the state Medicaid program had nothing to do with new controls being placed on Bronner's investment authority. "I did not instigate that," Bentley told reporters at the Capitol.

Bronner, chief executive of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, has criticized the governor for not expanding the state Medicaid program under the federal health care law. In a speech in June in Tuscaloosa, he called governors who turned down billions in federal money "idiots."

Bentley, a physician, has said repeatedly that he won't expand Medicaid because the program is broken and the state can't afford it.

Bentley recently appointed three new members to the board that oversees the state pension fund for education employees. On Dec. 12, one of the Bentley's appointees, state Revenue Department official Curtis Stewart, got the board to approve a resolution saying its three-member investment committee must approve any investments made by Bronner.

Stewart said the resolution wasn't aimed at anyone, but the investment committee should be looking at what is happening. The resolution takes effect Feb. 1. Bronner, who has operated with broad authority for many years, is supposed to figure out a way to make the new system work.

In an interview Friday, Bronner said he believes the Medicaid dispute was probably a factor in what happened, but he said it also resulted from the Retirement Systems not hiring a member of Bentley's staff for a high-ranking job.

Bentley said Tuesday he didn't know about the resolution until he read about it after the meeting. "When I read about what they did, I agreed with them, but those were not my recommendations to them. That came from the board itself," said the governor, who is chairman of the retirement board but rarely attends meetings.

Bronner said he can't devise ways to make the resolution work because investing on Wall Street requires quick decisions that he can't run by a committee.

"I can't come up with anything because I can't function," he said.

Bentley said the resolution was not political.

"There is no major investment company that does not have a team that looks at investment strategy, and everyone has to have oversight and input from some kind of investment committee," he said.

A separate board oversees the investment of pension funds for state employees. That board is scheduled to meet Jan. 30 to discuss controls.

Bronner has had struggles with governors and others through the years over control of the $28 billion pension fund. The most recent was in January 2013, when Bronner accused the executive secretary of the Alabama Education Association, Henry Mabry, of trying to wrest control from him. The battle was settled in May when the Legislature passed a law to remove Mabry from the Retirement Systems board.

Bentley says he wasn’t behind Bronner limits, but supports measure Times Daily December 18, 2013 Mary Sell

MONTGOMERY — Gov. Robert Bentley said he didn't have anything to do with a move last week to require more review of decisions made by Retirement Systems of Alabama CEO David Bronner, but he supports it.

"I was not a part of that. I didn't instigate that. I did not tell them to make these recommendations," Bentley said Tuesday. "When I read what they did, I agreed with them, but those were not my recommendations."

Last week, the Retirement Systems board took action to restrict Bronner's power to make investment decisions on his own. Any investments would need to be OK'd by a three-member investment committee. Board members who brought the resolution question the legality of Bronner's current system of approval by proxy.

Bronner argued the resolution limits his ability to make quick decisions and will hurt RSA. Details on how Bronner will have to operate under the resolution still need to be determined. The resolution takes effect Feb. 1.

The resolution was brought by Bentley appointee to the board Curtis Stewart. Bentley is the official chairman of the board, but rarely attends meetings.

"There is no investment, no major investment company, that does not have a team that looks at investment strategy and everyone has to have oversight from some sort of committee," Bentley said.

"This was not political," he said. "This would just add transparency to try to get better returns for the retirees."

In response to the resolution, Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, D-Red Bay, drafted legislation for the 2014 session that would give Bronner, or whoever runs RSA, complete autonomy to make investment decisions.

Longtime state Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, said Tuesday he will carry the bill in the Senate. Bedford said Bronner has done a good job with the system's investments and his position shouldn't be controlled by politicians. "I have always opposed politicians trying to get their hands on retirement money," Bedford said. He said recent proposed changes by Republicans were "blatant" takeovers of the system.

In 2011, Rep. Phil Williams, R-Huntsville, had two bills that would have added to the RSA board more appointees by the governor, Speaker of the House and Senate President Pro Tem. Those bills failed, but Williams said last week it may be time to bring them back.

The employees' Retirement System is an approximate $10 billion fund; the Teachers' Retirement System is a nearly $20 billion fund. In 2012, RSA paid out more than $2 billion in benefits to retirees. Those benefits are funded through employee contributions, state dollars and investment returns.

According to the Legislative Fiscal Office, state contributions have risen significantly in the last 10 years.

In the employees' system, it increased from $46 million in 2002 to $152 million in 2012. In the teachers' system, that increase was from $266 million to $621 million.

Governor says ASU needs president with authority The Associated Press December 18, 2013

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Gov. Robert Bentley says he hopes the Alabama State University board of trustees can pick a strong president on Friday.

Bentley leads the board by virtue of his office, and he says he plans to attend the board meeting Friday. The board plans to interview three finalists for the presidency and possibly pick one to lead the Montgomery university.

Bentley said Tuesday the person selected needs to make sure the position comes with the authority to deal with a forensic audit he ordered of the university and with the authority to move the university forward.

The three finalists are Democratic state Sen. Quinton Ross of Montgomery, Gwendolyn Boyd of John Hopkins University, and retired Brig. Gen. Samuel Nichols Jr. from Virginia.

AEA chief Henry Mabry calls GOP leadership a 'cancer' on public schools Al.com December 17, 2013 Kim Chandler MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The head of the Alabama teachers’ association called the current Alabama GOP legislative leadership a “cancer” on public education, saying they need to be swept out of office in the 2014 elections.

“The existing leadership of the Alabama Legislature is against public education and are doing everything they can to hurt public education and the people who educate the school children,” Alabama Education Association Executive Secretary Henry Mabry said in an interview about the 2014 elections.

“They have done everything they can to make public school funding suffer as compared to every other state in the country. They need to go,” Mabry said.

“We need new leadership in the legislature. They are a cancer on Alabama schools,” Mabry said.

Since winning control of the Alabama Legislature in a 2010 election-year sweep Republicans have sought to put their stamp on state education policy.

Alabama Legislature.jpg

AEA has been at odds with the GOP supermajority leadership over many of those issues including private school tuition tax credits, unsuccessful charter school legislation, the collection of AEA dues by payroll deduction, ending seniority considerations during teacher layoffs and benefits for education employees.

The 2014 elections are shaping up to be a rematch of sorts. Mabry said AEA will support a mixture of Democrats and Republicans who "are for public education".

Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, fired back saying Republicans were working to improve education in Alabama and suggested that AEA’s loyalties were to Democrats, despite their financial support of some GOP candidates.

"Like any union boss, Henry Mabry is working to preserve the broken status quo and revive the Democrat Party that left Alabama ranked at the bottom of so many lists for so many years," Hubbard said.

“The AEA is working closely with Barack Obama's political team - Democracy for America - to accomplish his goal, and that just won't fly here in Alabama. Our Republican Legislature has implemented needed change and conservative reforms in our public schools, and we are working to ensure that Alabama schoolchildren receive an education that is envied by those in any other state," Hubbard said.

University of Alabama, Auburn students join together for Habitat for Humanity build Al.com December 17, 2013 Melissa Brown

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Twenty students and faculty members from the University of Alabama and Auburn University are currently constructing a house for a Lee County family in need in the third annual "House United" project.

The House United project brings together the two rival schools to complete a house for a family in need before Christmas.

University members are working alongside Lee County Habitat for Humanity, the Alabama Association of Habitat for Humanity affiliates and Geordan Communities, according to a UA press release.

Geordan is providing professional builders to assist in the project and has donated labor and supplies for the project since it's inception.

Find out why this prominent conservative supports the Common Core Al.com December 17, 2013 Evan Belanger

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Make no mistake, Michael Petrilli is a conservative. An award- winning writer and education analyst, he serves as executive vice president of the conservative education-policy think tank the Thomas B. Fordham Institute in Washington, D.C.

But when he visited Alabama this week to film a debate on the Common Core to be televised next month on Alabama Public Television, Petrilli was not on the side of the Republican National Committee, which called the Common Core "an inappropriate overreach."

"On this issue, clearly the Common Core has split conservatives," Petrelli told AL.com in Birmingham this week before catching a plane to Washington.

In its review of the standards, the Fordham Institute gave the common core a B+ for English and an A- for math, both slightly higher than Fordham's assessment of Alabama's previous standards.

Here's what else Petrilli had to say about the common core:

What's conservative about the common core?

It's no secret the Fordham Institute is ideologically conservative. It has supported conservative causes like school vouchers, and Petrelli said this week he thinks the Republican-championed Alabama Accountability Act is "a step in the right direction."

So what's conservative about the Common Core? Petrilli says its all about accountability. "They're really solid standards and they have the potential to bring more accountability to our schools, the kind of accountability conservative have argued for for three decades," he said.

For years, according to Petrelli, states have set education standards that are "way, way too low." Even in Alabama, where he says education officials have made dramatic improvements to their standards in recent years, the assessments used to test knowledge of the standards were still wanting.

"When it came to the test, Alabama had one of the worst tests in the country, a ridiculously easy test," he said, referencing the Alabama High School Exam, which the state board of education has since discontinued.

"We're not telling families the truth about how their kids are performing and we're setting kids up to fail."

What about student privacy and other concerns raised by conservative groups opposed to the Common Core?

Petrilli has written previously that "many of those crusading against the Common Core have been playing fast and loose with the facts and purposefully spreading misinformation."

He discounted this week concerns about the sharing of student data, saying that Fordham's review of the standards found nothing to indicate student data would be shared with the federal government or anyone else.

"There's been a lot of attempts to create a lot of fear that this is somehow going to put students privacy at risk. ... but there's nothing about the Common Core that is going to put data at risk."

He also said opponents have "mischaracterized" the degree to which the federal government was involved with the standards.

"I'm concerned with the federal role too, but I see it as fairly minimal and outweighed by all the benefits of the common core."

Why is the time right for the Common Core?

"What we're hearing of these standards is that the teachers love them," Petrelli said. "They're harder and they have to work harder, but at the same time they're getting to go deeper and its not just teaching to the test anymore. It's actually digging in and helping students think critically and work on project and be ready for whatever the next step is."

The good news, he says, is that states have made progress with their lowest performing students.

"You look at the very lowest performing students, who tend to be low income, who tend to be minority, they're doing much better than they were 15 years ago, and that's probably because of the standards testing movement. The bad news, according to Petrilli, is that it has not made similar gains with higher performing students.

"What we're trying to say is look, we have to be able to raise the bar dramatically and expect our public schools to produce much better results than they're doing today," he said.

"Where not inventing a standard. We're saying this is where the real-world standard is today. And if you're not meeting that standard, your opportunity of having a middle-class lifestyle is low. And if Alabama can't get more kids to the standard, the chances of bringing business here, to grow the economy, all of that is really a challenge."

"The problem is you've had 15 years to do it and so far you have failed. The hope of the common core is that maybe we change the dynamic and Alabama says look, if we hold hands with some of these other states we'll have the guts to actually set the bar as high as it needs to be."

What is the Common Core? The Common Core is a set education standards developed through the Common Core State Standards Initiative, a cooperative initiative of the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others.

Eduction standards tell schools what students should learn in each grade to be prepared for college or career upon graduation. The Common Core standards only apply to English and math.

Alabama implemented the standards for math in 2012 and for English this year. The state has not adopted the Common Core assessments, instead opting for an ACT product aligned with the new standards.

The standards have been criticized as a federal intrusion into state-run education since the Obama administration announced in 2009 that state's seeking certain education grants would be scored in part on whether they had adopted the common core.

Bradley Byrne cruises to landslide victory over Burton LeFlore in congressional race Al.com December 17, 2013 Brendan Kirby

MOBILE, Alabama – Returning from the nadir of his political career after a stinging loss in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary, Bradley Byrne on Tuesday won a landslide victory over Democrat Burton LeFlore in a special election for Congress.

Byrne, 58, won about two-thirds of the vote, according to incomplete and unofficial returns. The Associated Press declared him the winner at about 9 p.m. He carried every county in the district. Byrne will be sworn in next month as the next representative of the 1st District, which includes Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, Monroe and Washington counties, as well as part of Clarke County.

The district has been without representation since Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, left office in August to take a job as vice chancellor of the University of Alabama System.

“You wanted change in Washington, and we’re going to bring it to you,” Byrne told supporters at Moe’s Original BBQ in Mobile.

Byrne promised to be a “conservative reformer” in the nation’s capital.

“Not fight and not name call, but to get real results,” he said. “Fight hard against the Washington establishment holding our nation back. We are a great country but we are not acting like a great country in Washington.”

LeFlore, 48, is the grandson of John LeFlore and attended the high school named for the late civil rights icon.

He had no prior political experience except for a failed run for the state House of Representatives earlier this year in a race to replace Rep. Yvonne Kennedy, D-Mobile, after her death. LeFlore, who works as a Realtor, ran as an independent for that seat and claimed just 7 percent of the vote against Adline Clarke.

In the race for Congress, LeFlore easily dispatched Lula Albert-Kaigler in the Democratic primary but found it difficult to gain traction against Byrne’s better-funded campaign.

"You wanted change in Washington, and we're going to bring it to you." -- Bradley Byrne LeFlore said he would not concede until complete results from Mobile County were in, although he did eventually call Byrne to offer his congratulations.

“If I don’t emerge the victor, my advice to Byrne would be we need bipartisanship in Washington,” he said. “We have got to work with our president and certainly we’ve got to do what’s right for the people (here).”

The timing of the election will spare Byrne from having to cast a difficult vote early in his congressional career on the budget. The House and Senate both have approved a two-year compromise deal that amounts to a temporary truce between the parties on the taxes and spending. Byrne had declined to take a position on the proposal, citing the need to study the details.

But Byrne will find a full plate when he does take office. The deal to ease some of the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration notwithstanding, Congress will have long-term issues of deficits and entitlement spending to grapple with. Issues related to President Barack Obama’s heath care law might also come up. Byrne is on record against what is popularly known as Obamacare. Byrne also will go to work on local issues he has promised to champion, including securing funding for a long-debated Interstate 10 bridge over Mobile Bay, deepening Mobile’s shipping channel and protecting Austal USA’s military contracts.

Byrne, a lawyer by training, has been in politics since the 1990s when he first won election to the state Board of Education as a Democrat. He later switched parties and served as a Republican in the state Senate, representing a district on the Eastern Shore.

Then-Gov. Bob Riley tapped him in 2007 to take over a scandal-ridden two-year college system. He touted his record there during his 2010 campaign for governor and entered the race as the front-runner. He finished first in the Republican primary but found himself the target of an all- out effort by the state teachers union – with whom he had tangled as two-year college chancellor – to defeat him.

The beneficiary was Robert Bentley, who won the race and went on to win the election.

The defeat left Byrne out of public service for the first time since 1994. On the campaign trail this year, he attempted to douse speculation that he would use a congressional seat as a launching pad for another run for governor, saying this would be his last office.

Byrne runs up the score in AL-01 victory Yellowhammer News December 17, 2013 Jeff Poor

Back in June, Bradley Byrne was one of the first candidates to announce his intention to run for the Alabama first congressional district seat to be vacated by then-Rep. Jo Bonner. On Tuesday, Byrne was officially the last man standing.

With 93 percent reporting, Byrne defeated Democratic nominee Burton LeFlore by a 32,506- 13,989 margin.

Byrne addressed his supporters at his victory party at Moe’s BBQ in downtown Mobile and touted himself as a “conservative problem solver.”

“Tonight, the voters of South Alabama have sent a resounding message that they want a conservative problem solver with a proven track record of achieving results to represent them in Congress,” Byrne said. “They’re tired of the name-calling and political gamesmanship in Washington. They want a conservative leader who will fight to represent our principles, but who also knows how to sit around a table and work out our differences. We here in southwest Alabama know the great and simple truth from the Pledge of Allegiance, that we are, indeed, ‘One Nation, Under God’ – and that, working together, we can be a great nation.” “As a community, we have such a bright future ahead of us – the potential to be an economic leader in our state and throughout the Gulf Coast region, bringing good-paying jobs and a better quality of life to South Alabama,” he continued. “But we can’t get there alone. We need a leader who will forge partnerships and promote pro-growth policies that will attract more investment and jobs to our community. That’s exactly what I plan to do as your Congressman. This has been a hard-fought campaign, but the real work is just beginning. I want to hear from you. Our door is always open – let us know how we can help. This is your seat, and I will work hard to build on the trust you’ve placed in me with your vote, one person at a time.”

In addition to a big victory at the polls, Byrne overwhelmed LeFlore in the campaign fundraising department by a $1.1 million-to-$7,000 margin.

Both the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee congratulated Byrne for his Tuesday night victory.

“Congratulations to Congressman-elect Bradley Byrne on his victory tonight,” RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. “He will join the Republican majority in the House of Representatives as they continue their work to support job creation and to grow the economy. I am confident he will represent his constituents well as he fights to undo the damage of ObamaCare and Democrats’ disastrous agenda.”

“Congratulations are in order for Representative-Elect Bradley Byrne as the victor in Alabama’s special election for Congress,” NRCC Chairman Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., said in a statement. “Bradley’s strong conservative principles and dedication to his community will be a welcomed addition to the halls of Congress. He has a history of working hard for Alabamans for almost two decades, and I know he will continue that precedent as a United States Representative.

Byrne will be sworn into office at the beginning of the second session of the 113th Congress on January 7, 2014.

Sen. Jeff Sessions unsuccessful in attempt to stop military retirement cuts; medically retired veterans also impacted Al.com December 18, 2013 Leada Gore

Efforts by Sen. Jeff Sessions to introduce an amendment to stop a cut in military retiree pay failed Tuesday.

Sessions, R-AL, wanted the amendment added to the bipartisan budget deal before the Senate votes on the package today. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., blocked that move, leaving in place the provision to cut the cost of living adjustment by 1 percent below inflation for military retirees younger than 62. The change would fully take effect in 2016. The Senate voted 54-46 in favor of Reid's procedural move to block the amendment with the vote falling along party lines.

Sessions fired back at Reid's move, saying the plan to cut retirement pay hurts America's veterans.

"Reid and his majority quashed the ability of any Senator to offers amendments to the spending deal that emerged from the House. They voted to undermine their own ability as Senators to offer amendments and do legislative work in the clear light of day. They voted to block the Senate from working to improve this tax-and-spend deal. Finally, by blocking my amendment, they voted to cut pensions for wounded warriors.

"Senators in this chamber have many valid ideas for replacing these pension cuts, including my proposal to close the tax welfare loophole for illegal filers, and all deserved a fair and open hearing. But they were denied."

Sessions suggested replacing the cuts to military retirement with a proposal to remove a loophole that allows illegal immigrants to receive IRS payments through the Additional Child Tax Credit. The IRS is expected to issue some $7.4 billion in ACTC payouts this year; the cuts to military retirement is expected to save $6 billion over the next decade.

Cuts will hurt medically retired military personnel

The cuts will also impact military personnel who are forced to retire early due to combat or service-related injuries, the Pentagon confirmed Tuesday.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said the Department of Defense had confirmed medically retired personnel who were granted full benefits due to injuries or illnesses are among those who will see their payments cut by the bill.

"We want Congress to pass a budget, address defense sequestration, and restore military readiness, but it is wrong to try to achieve these goals on the backs of our military retirees-who have risked their lives to defend our country and who have already sacrificed so much," Ayotte said.

Ayotte said lawmakers believed because the bill did not cut Veterans Affairs Department disability compensation, disabled veterans wouldn't be impacted by the change. That's not the case, however.

"It was a challenge to get confirmation from the Defense Department, but they admitted it," Ayotte told Army Times. "It's horrendous."

The Senate is expected to vote on the compromise budget plan today.

+++ Congressional scramble: Bradley Byrne to reopen office, hire district staff between now and Jan. 7 Al.com December 18, 2013 John Sharp

MOBILE, Alabama – Congressman-elect Bradley Byrne will wake up Wednesday morning, board an airplane and fly to Washington, D.C. to reopen Alabama's 1st Congressional District office.

From there, he will start getting ready for a job he officially assumes on Jan. 7, when the U.S. House returns from its holiday vacation.

It's not a lot of time, Byrne admits, to get prepared for his job as the newest member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"We have three weeks to organize the congressional office in Washington and down here in the district and get on top of the big issues," Byrne said moments after thanking his supporters and campaign staff at Moe's Original BBQ in Mobile following his landslide victory in Tuesday's general election. "Usually a congressman has two months to do that. We have three weeks with Christmas and New Year's in the middle of it. We have a lot of work to do."

Byrne, 58, also has plans to continue utilizing the same downtown Mobile office once occupied by former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner at the RSA Battle House Tower. An office site in Baldwin County is undetermined, Byrne said.

The office in Washington, D.C., has been vacated since Monday and has not been occupied by a sitting congressman since Bonner resigned in early August to take a job as vice chancellor at the University of Alabama System.

"My understanding is the office in Mobile has another year on the lease," Byrne said. "We'll stay there and see how it works. There are some good reasons to be there. It is in the central location of the business community. The congressman plays a key role in economic development, and I'm told there are a lot of important meetings that take place in the office overlooking the water front."

Byrne said while his family and staff intends to take Christmas off – the Byrne family traditionally attends a Christmas Eve church service – he will work through the holidays in preparation for the swearing-in ceremony.

The moment will come 3-1/2 years after Byrne lost the Alabama gubernatorial election to Gov. Robert Bentley in an election that left the former state senator out of public service for the first time since 1994.

"I think I will be a little overwhelmed by the fact that someone like me could be standing in that room where so many important people in the history of this country have stood and served and will take the oath of office to serve the people of this area," Byrne said. "My family has been here for over 200 years and to think I can be the person in this area to represent the people in Washington is almost overwhelming to me."

Byrne's victory Tuesday over the heavily outspent Democratic rival Burton LeFlore involved a lot less contentiousness leading up to it than the Nov. 5 Republican Party runoff against challenger Dean Young.

Byrne, during his victory speech, said he would be a congressman who would not "fight" and won't "name call," but who will be someone that "gets real results."

He said his comments were not meant to be a dig at Young, but rather a criticism of the political discourse in Washington, D.C.

"I think anybody in American and anyone who is watching what is going on up there, you see a lot of name calling and posturing and no results," Byrne said. "People are sick of no results. I've always been a problem solver. I'm not interested in being on television or that sort of thing."

Byrne told his supporters he wants to focus on local issues, including securing funding for the Interstate 10 bridge over Mobile Bay, deepening Mobile's shipping channel and protecting Austal USA's military contracts.

He acknowledged afterward that those issues will require long-term planning, but that he hopes to show voters he's made some "concrete steps" in advancing them.

He won't have much time. Byrne will be gearing up for re-election in early 2014, and could face a primary opponent in June with the general election in November.

"I'm confident if we do the right job in Washington, we'll be fine next year," Byrne said. "A large number of people didn't vote for me six weeks ago, but they came out and voted for me today. They said that they will watch how I do in office. We'll go up there and earn their vote."

In letter to Sen. Shelby, environmental group denies federal funds were used anti-coal advocacy Al.com December 17, 2013 Kyle Whitmire

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Last week Sen. Richard Shelby asked the Department of Energy to investigate whether grants it distributed to environmentalist and clean energy advocacy groups had been used to pursue an anti-coal agenda in Alabama. Today, one of those groups released an open letter to the senator denying any such use of federal funds, and it detailed how it had spent federal grants it received. "I can answer that question unequivocally: No. SELC has never received DOE funds," Southern Environmental Law Center lawyer Keith Johnston said in the letter. "In fact, of the small amount of federal funds my organization has received over the years, none of it has gone to energy work."

Johnston accused the Alabama Coal Association of ginning up a false controversy to distract the public from the cause of its woes – the abundance of cheaper, cleaner natural gas and the increasing affordability of alternative sources of energy.

Read the full letter and financial disclosures below.

Mercedes-Benz opening logistics center in Ala The Associated Press December 17, 2013

VANCE, Ala. (AP) — Mercedes-Benz is opening a new section at its plant in Tuscaloosa County.

The German automaker is cutting the ribbon on a $70 million logistics center at its automotive factory in Vance on Wednesday afternoon.

Gov. Robert Bentley is among the officials planning to attend the event.

About 600 contractors and service providers will work in the 900,000-square-foot building. They will be responsible for handling almost 3 million parts a day.

The facility will receive components and organize them into the proper order for the manufacturing process.

BL Harbert completes $70 million Mercedes facility set to open Wednesday Al.com December 17, 2013 Michael Tomberlin

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – BL Harbert International Inc. has completed construction of the $70 million Mercedes-Benz Logistics Center in Vance.

Construction began in April of this year and was completed on an accelerated schedule. At 900,000 square feet, the facility is the size of nearly five Walmart Supercenter stores.

“BL Harbert is very fortunate to work with a world-renowned company such as Mercedes- Benz,” Jeremy Pipkin, operations manager of BL Harbert’s industrial division, said in a release. “We are excited about the completion of this facility which will support Mercedes’ growing production needs. The project required an extremely fast-paced delivery and could not have been accomplished without the collaborative relationship of BL Harbert International and Mercedes- Benz.”

Gov. Robert Bentley is scheduled to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the facility at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Billy Harbert, chief executive of BL Harbert International, is also scheduled to attend.

Mercedes-Benz Logistics Center was designed to streamline logistics operations through the receiving, handling and sequencing of parts to support current and future production at the neighboring Mercedes-Benz automotive plants. It is expected to employ 600 workers who will coordinate logistics of more than 2.9 million parts each day.

Alabama's largest casino opens in Wetumpka The Associated Press December 17, 2013

WETUMPKA, Ala. (AP) — Hundreds of people lined up Tuesday for the opening of Alabama's largest casino.

Jane West of Hoover was near the front of the line at Wind Creek Wetumpka. She said she thought it would be exciting to attend.

The Poarch Creek Indians say Wind Creek Wetumpka features 85,000 square feet of casino space with more than 2,500 electronic games. The property includes five restaurants, as well as a 20-story hotel that will start opening in stages.

The new hotel and casino replace a smaller casino in Wetumpka. The $246 million attraction is larger than the tribe's Wind Creek Atmore, which had featured the state's largest casino.

Poarch Creek Tribal Chairman Buford Rolin said the Wetumpka facility will employ 1,100 people in full-time and part-time jobs.